The Ukrainian parliament has dismissed Wednesday the government led by Yulia Tymoshenko with 243 votes after considering a no-confidence motion.

A motion of no-confidence in the government was initiated by the opposition Party of Regions, whose leader Viktor Yanukovych was elected President of Ukraine on February 7.

On March 2, Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr Lytvyn announced the breakup of the coalition of the parliamentary factions of the Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko, the Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense Bloc and the Bloc of Lytvyn.

He said that he had made such an announcement due to the absence of 226 signatures of MPs - the majority in a 450-seat parliament.

According to the Constitution, a new coalition must be formed in the Verkhovna Rada within 30 days. The coalition also nominates a candidate for the Prime Minister and then endorses its composition and forms the Cabinet of Ministers. If any coalition is not formed, the head of state is entitled to declare pre-term parliamentary election.